Recent ASA Research Briefs

An important purpose of the ASA Research and Development Department is to develop information on sociology as a profession and a discipline through primary data and secondary analysis. Below is a brief description of some of our latest research briefs. These briefs can be found on the research page of the ASA website at www.asanet.org.

Down Market? Findings from the ASA Job Bank Survey

Sociology assistant professor job seekers in AY 2008/09 were faced with a difficult job market, but not as bad as the market in fields as reported by other associations.

Paying Attention to the Master’s Degree in Sociology

Find out about the experiences among master’s students and their different reasons for entering, and expectations of, a masters program in sociology.

What’s Happening in Your Department with Assessment?

The current state of assessment in sociology departments is described in this research brief, analyzing the issue within the context of how major stakeholders shape the use of this activity.

Idealists v. Careerists: Graduate School Choices of Sociology Majors

From among the 35% of sociology majors who go on to graduate school, find out who pursues sociology, who applies their sociology training in other fields, and what shapes their decisions.

What’s Happening in Your Department: Who’s Teaching and How Much?

The number of full-time and adjunct sociology faculty members has remained stable recently, but teaching loads have increased for full-time professors.